Spring bed-bottom



(No Moae1.) zsheetsssheet 1. C. H. FITCH.

f U l SPRINGBED BOTTOM. N0. 274,925- jx Patented Apr. 3, 1883.

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G. H. FITCH. SPRING BED BOTTOM.

l 2 Sheetsf-Sheet 2.

` No.. 274,925. Patented Apr'.8,1883.

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WITNESS ES UNITED STATES PATENT I OFFICE.

CALVIN H. FITCH, OF MIDDLETOWN SPRINGS, VERMONT, ASSIGNCR'OF ONE-HALF TO BYRON S. FITCH, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

SPRING BED-BOTTOM.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 274,925, dated April 3, 1883.

Application filed October 19, 1882. (No model.)

V.To all whom it may concern.-

citizen of the United States, residing at Midmeans of supporting-springs.

dletown Springs, in the county of Rutland and State of Vermont, have invented certain new andl useful Improvements in Spring Bed-Bottoms, of which` the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to that class of bedbottoms which are made of material more or less springy of itself, andrendered yielding by In my present invention the bed-bottom is made up of links having eyes ateach end, which eyes are of the form of open rings, so as to yield elastically under a burden and recover their shape upon removal or shifting of the burden, said links being connected longitudinally and transverse- `ly by rigid hooks or links into a continuous fabric, which may be supported by springs at` the ends of the frame of the bed-bottom. Another feature .of my invention is a compound sipring formed of a wire bent longitudif nally at the middle, so that its members shall be parallel and close together, to thereby be mutually supporting, bent at the end into a hook, extended thence backwardly, and each member coiled one or more times closely, and the terminals bent forward again in the direction of the hook end and turned down to form points for fastening the spring to its support. Another feature of my invention is a cast- "ing for securing the `spring-holding rails or cross-pieces to the` side rails, said castings embracing or straddling the side krails to insure strength, stability, and interehangeableness, and to admit of drawing the bottom taut.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, in the several figuresl of which likeparts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a bed-bottom containing the several featuresof this invention. Fig. 2 is a partial side elevation thereof on a-larger scale, the right-hand end being in section, and showing in dotted lines the inside member of the casting. Fig. 3 is an end view of one corner of the bed-bottom. Fig. et is aperspective 'view of the spring; Fig. 5, aplan of one link;

Fig. 6, a side view ofthe longitudinal connection for the links; Fig. 7, a similar view of the cross-connection, and Fig. 8 a side elevation of a modified form of casting.

The bed-bottom proper is made up of a series of longitudinally and transversely connected eyed links, a. These links (see Fig. 5) are composed of pieces of wire bent reversely at opposite ends to form eyes b, the ends of the wire, after forming the eyes, being unattached to its body, thereby forming what I have herein designated open eyes,7 to obtain the resilience of the wire in supporting the burden on the bed. These links are connected longitudinally by pieces of wire bent loosely through the eyes of thelinks as hookss, and said links are alsoconnected transversely by similar but shorter hooks or links, t, also engaging the eyes of the links; but it is obvious that these connecting-hooks may have their ends made as closed eyes, and then secured to the linkeyes by springing open the latter. A bed-bottom so constructed and properly supported, preferably upon springs, will yield to its burden and form a very elastic and at the VSame time sufficiently iirm but exceedingly comfortable and easy bed. Any broken or damaged member of my bed-bottom may be easily replaced by even unskilledpersons and at a veryr triliing cost.

The springs c,.I nd most advantageous to use with my bed-bottom are each composed of a length of wire doubled upon itself longitudinally, and with its members parallel andA on their support by staples i t', straddling the arms g g', close up to the coils and driven in the support. The active or hook end ot' the spring, by having its component members in immediate juxtaposition, is very solid and strong, and the two coils ff', proceeding immediately therefrom, endue it with a very stil IOO resilience or great power, while the arms g g. turning forwardunder the weight-supporting member, and on either side thereof, afford a broad firm base therefor. Such aspring withal is cheaply and quickly made, and capable of being made ofa less expensive wire than the ordinary open and distended springs.

My bed-bottom will be put upon the market in a frame ready for application to a bedstead. This frame will consist of side rails, k, and cross-bars Z, connected by castings m. These castings, preferably of malleable iron, orna mented and nickel-plated, are composed of the parallel vertical members n a, to engage the side rails longitudinally, and the connecting horizontal plate o, to rest upon the top of the side rails and to receive the cross-rail. Bolts p p are passed through the castings and side rails and secured by nuts q on the inside. The cross-rails are first applied to the castings by screw-bolts extended up therethrough from the horizontal plate o. (See section right-hand end of Fig. 2.) These screw-bolts preferably take into nuts let or sunk in the cross-rails, so kas to make a neat finish. When the castings are applied to the cross-rails said castings are4 then bolted securely to one end of the side.

rails; but at` the other end they are attached pivotally by their inner end bolts. The bottom is next applied to the cross-rails at each end, and by using the bolts of this loose casting as pivots for the cross-rail the said rail is forcibly depressed, thus straining up the bottom and bringing it out taut, when the end bolts may be applied to hold said bottom. Where the castings are applied to one side only of the side rails, stability cannot be insured and the bed-frame will be greatly racked under -its burden; but where these castings straddle said rails a double support is afforded and the greatest strength in the structure obtained.

Instead of fastening the cross-rails to the horizontal plate, as in Figs. 2 and 3, I may extend the outer face of the casting upwardly, as at r, and pass screws therethroughinto the said rail; or said extension may be auxiliary to said plate-fastenin g, or merely an ornamental finish for the end of the cross-rails.

A bed-bottom made up of longitudinally and transverselyconnectedlinks, in which the links have elastic or ilexible eyes, by which the series of links are united as a fabric, will yield at any point to conform to the body of the occupant with scarcely any perceptible movement elsewhere; hence such a bed will be found exceedingly comfortable and easy.

By unhooking theend links of the bed-bottom from their supports on the cross-rails and removing the bolts from the castings the bedbottom may be taken apart and compacted into a small bundle for transportation. It is adapted to be put together again by even the most ,unskillfuL y The hooks t may be shorter or longer than the hooks s, or of even length therewith, according to the number of lines of links it is desiredto put in the bed-bottom, or the distance apart such lines of links are to be.

What I claim is- 1. A bed-bottom composed of lon gitudinally.

and transversely connected links having elastic or yielding eyes at each end, substantially as described.

2. The combination, substantially as shown and described, of links having open eyes at each end, and longitudinal and transverse connecting-hooks, forming an elastic or spring bed-bottom.

3.' The combination, substantially as shown and described, of links having open or elastic eyes at each end, and connected longitudinally vand transversely to form a bedbottom, with springs to which said bottom is attached at its ends.

4. The herein-described links, having their ends formed as open rings, constituting elastic eyes, and adapted to be connected in series for use in forming a bed-bottom, substantially as set forth. l

5. A compound spring speciallydesigned for use in supporting bed-bottoms, the same consisting of awire doubled as shown, provided -with a hook end, side coils, and forwardlybent and pointed ends, and having its doubled portion and'coils lying in contact throughout their length, substantially as set forth.

6. 1n a bed-bottom, the side rails and crossbars connected by castings straddling said side rails, and secured to the side rails by bolts, and tothe cross-rails by vertical lscrews passed through horizontal plates, constituting the connecting-members ot' the sides of the-castings, substantially as shown and described.

7. A casting for'connecting the side rails and cross-bars ot' a bed-bottom, composed of vertical members to embrace the side rail, and a horizontal connectin g-plate for said members, to receive the cross-bar, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 18th day of October, A. D. 1882.

, CALVIN H. FITCH.

Witnesses:

S. J. TUCKER, E. F. KELLY.

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